Green500 is a carbon-mentoring programme funded by the London Development Agency, that provides members with support and advice from a dedicated ‘Carbon Mentor' in efforts to reduce CO2 emissions across the capital through improvements in energy efficiency, water usage, waste management and transport plans. The Awards recognised Green500 members with bronze, silver, gold, platinum and diamond awards, based on the success of their Green500 action plan implementation.
With 120,000 tonnes of CO2 already saved, which is the equivalent to 8.3billion footballs filled with carbon, the Green500 aims to achieve an ambitious target to reduce London's carbon footprint by 60 per cent by 2025, saving around 35 million tonnes of CO2. The hope is to inspire other world cities to take action and to enable smaller organisations to benefit from the lessons learned and to cut emissions cost effectively. The awards scheme and ceremony raises awareness and recognises achievement not only in terms of applauding leadership, but also in terms of encouraging others to join in.
Among the members to be awarded for their efforts, the London School of Economics won a Green500 Platinum Award for developing several innovative processes and capital fixtures as part of its ongoing dedication to tackle climate change and sustainable waste management. Among its many carbon-busting initiatives, LSE has switched to advanced energy monitoring software, installed innovative halls of residence showers with water and energy efficiency in mind and is removing barriers to recycling while challenging students to reuse waste items. The university has also implemented a strict refurbishment design brief to incorporate microgeneration, and low-energy consumption systems, as demonstrated by its new academic building.
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: ‘I salute London's universities and colleges for truly grasping the nettle to become greener. Their sterling work to cut carbon and become energy efficient puts London on the front foot to emerge from the economic downturn stronger and stimulate new jobs.'
